“I did everything to be able to run”: five marathons despite multiple sclerosis, Isabelle’s crazy challenge

“My body is on fire. Isabelle Bettan is not shy about talking about it. At 44, this mother of two suffers from multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease that affects the nervous system, from the spinal cord to the brain. He was diagnosed with the disease only two years ago, after a storm that had already shaken his personal and professional life.

“In 2020, I have a difficult divorce. I lost my marriage, my home, my job in a very short time. I was alone with two children in my arms. I handled it like a plane pilot in the middle of a storm with two kids in the back. I thought I had landed, but I underestimated the state of my body. I went ahead. I did not give myself the right to cry, to stop. I was brought up like that. I didn’t burn out in my head, but my body went crazy,” says the mother of the family.

This former director of independent hotel groups finds herself out of work, at a dead end, on vacation for the first time in her life in the summer of 2021. I didn’t know it at the time, but I suffered from multiple sclerosis,” says the Levallois resident.

“This disease can pin me to the chair”

The diagnosis was made to a 44-year-old woman during a scheduled visit, MRI of the brain for another disease – Isabelle Bettan has been suffering from hearing loss since the age of 30 due to inactive brain damage. “After seeing the results, my neurologist told me: I must definitely see you tomorrow at the hospital. I quickly realized the gravity of the situation. Multiple sclerosis is a word that still scares a little. »

But an engineer by education does not allow himself to be defeated. “My first reaction was to ask if I could play sports again. They answered me: don’t set yourself up for a marathon. Except that when I ask the question, it’s already too late. I’ve already convinced myself to make one. »

This mother, who calls herself a “Sunday runner,” stopped at the half marathon gate. “I have always done something only half way. There, I wanted to go all the way this time. I have a chance to stand on my own two feet, and it is, of course, temporary, because this disease is a real Russian roulette that can chain me to a wheelchair at any moment, so I use it. »

So Isabelle Bettane is starting her six-month preparation for the Paris Marathon scheduled for April 2022. “At the end of the day, the marathon was the easiest challenge because it was easy to identify. This is 42.195 km on a specific date, set in time and stopped. On a daily basis, my illness does not bother me too much, even if I may have severe episodes of fatigue, numbness in my right leg and loss of slight mobility in my right arm, but running is fine, ”says the mother of the family. However, a week before the “biggest goal” of his life, tragedy struck: a broken hamstring.

Mission Paris 2024?

“I did everything to be able to run. Physiotherapy, massage, fuel oil… I went there anyway. I carved a course in my head. As if in childhood, I told myself that if I cross the 7th kilometer, I will reach it … And I crossed the line in a stream of tears, in pain, after 5:53. You absolutely had to do less than six hours, otherwise you are not considered a real marathon runner. After this incredible happiness, a few days later there was already such a party: when is the next one? »

The Levalloisian is just beginning her journey in the fight against the disease – “this is my reason to run.” After Paris two months later was Stockholm, then Côte d’Opale, La Rochelle and again Paris for the 2023 edition. “My best memory is Sweden. My two children came running next to me. When I entered the Olympic Stadium in Stockholm, I had to negotiate with the security, explaining to them that they were alone because my sister had lost sight of them. We returned home to applause. My daughter greeted the audience like the queen of England, it was amazing (laughs). »

After her first five marathons, Isabelle Bettan had a dream: to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics. “I completed almost all the running tasks. I have already qualified for the next draw, it will be me and my luck. Otherwise, I applied to carry the Olympic flame,” says the runner. By her side, she hopes to have several members of the Sep’UP association, which brings together people with multiple sclerosis in search of sports feats. “Compared to those who make Iron Man, I am a small player,” she jokes. However, the mother of the family is already talking about an ultra-trail (80 km) for 2024 and a paragliding jump…